Factory collapse in Pakistan kills 4, traps dozens

AP reports— Rescue workers struggled to reach dozens of people trapped in the rubble of a factory that collapsed in an eastern Pakistani city Monday, killing at least four, officials said.

The factory, which manufactured medicine, had been set up illegally in a residential area of Lahore and caved in after several gas cylinders inside exploded, said the city's deputy commissioner, Ahad Cheema. Authorities had previously closed the factory three times, but each time it reopened.

The factory was owned by a local politician, who used his influence to keep it open despite complaints from neighbors, said local resident Munawar Ali.

Mohsin Raza / Reuters

Residents and rescue workers comb rubble of a three-story factory building, which collapsed in Lahore on Feb. 6.

K.M. Chaudary / AP

Pakistani rescue workers carry a woman recovered from the debris of a collapsed building in Lahore, Pakistan, on Monday, Feb. 6.